Position title: Bioinformatician - vivax malaria

Employer: Menzies School of Health Research

Closing date: Sep 27, 2020

Brief position description: The successful applicant will work on the P. vivax genomics program within the Menzies malaria team, with additional support from local collaborators in the Australian Center for Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination (ACREME), and international collaborators at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, and the Big Data Institute, Oxford. The position will entail exploration of P. vivax genomic data from our unique repository to identify important adaptations in the parasite genome such as novel drug resistance candidates. These new markers will be incorporated into our P. vivax genotyping barcodes with the aim of building in-country capacity to genotype isolates at our partner sites. Bioinformatic methods will also be applied to characterize the complexity of individual P. vivax infections to inform on local patterns of transmission, and to assess the connectivity between parasite populations to assess the spatial and temporal dynamics of parasite spread.

The position will also support the development of new, open-access software for analyzing amplicon deep sequencing data generated at our P. vivax genotyping barcodes, and the expansion of these tools to include host genotyping at the gene encoding the G6PD enzyme and other relevant loci. The aim of the G6PD genotyping is to define vivax endemic populations with genetic variants associated with G6PD deficiency that confer risk of drug induced haemolysis.

In addition to the bioinformatic analyses, the successful applicant will be responsible for assisting in the ongoing oversight, reporting and quality assurance of the research activities, and engagement with relevant project scientists, post-graduate students, and key stakeholders.

The successful applicant will be encouraged to pursue independent research interests/projects and supported in their career development with opportunities to extend their publication record in high-impact journals, facilitate workshops, supervise post-graduate students and establish their own funded program of work.

The position is based in Darwin, with opportunities to spend time at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Big Data Institute, UK. Overseas travel of up to 2 weeks, annually may be required. Opportunities for mentoring and networking with others outside the Northern Territory working in relevant genomics programs will be fostered by the supervisor and Menzies-based colleagues to support the successful applicant, including through relevant formal post-doctoral support and mentoring programs at Menzies.

Job website: http://careers.menzies.edu.au/job-details/query/Bioinformatician+-+Vivax+Malaria/in/Northern+Territory/7951036/

Contact name: Sarah Auburn

Contact email: sarah.auburn@menzies.edu.au